Noah Okafor enjoyed his best display in a Leeds United shirt as the Whites burst into life in front of goal in their 3-1 win over Wolves.
After failing to find the net from open play in their first four Premier League fixtures, Leeds suddenly found their shooting boots as Dominic Calvert-Lewin kicked off the scoring at Molineux.
Three Leeds players scored their first goal for the club in the same game for the first time in history, as Anton Stach scored a brilliant free-kick before Okafor slotted home with a cool left-footed strike.
Okafor gave a bullish assessment of Leeds’ Premier League aspirations after the game, as he hit his stride in an eye-catching win. The stats from the game show he also achieved something no other player had done since 2019, in an exciting sign of things to come from the Swiss winger.
Noah Okafor matches Premier League feat from 2019
Leeds were the better side in the first half at Molineux, despite Wolves’ opening goal that came against the run of play.
Okafor played an important role in Leeds’ dominant first period, as they eventually reaped the rewards of their patient build-up approach.
The former AC Milan man provided the Leeds back four with a constant out-ball from the back, and this is highlighted by a post from Opta’s Jonny Cooper on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).
According to Cooper, Okafor made 12 dribbles in the first half against Wolves, the most by any player in the English top flight since Boxing Day of 2019, when Wilfred Zaha made 13 for Crystal Palace against West Ham.
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New Leeds United signing shows flashes of his idol Kaka
Having missed out on the signing of Harry Wilson on transfer deadline day, there were questions over where Leeds’ creativity would come from this season.
However, Okafor showed that he can play a crucial role for the Whites in their bid for Premier League survival with an impressive individual display.
Speaking to Milan News when he first moved to Serie A in 2023, Okafor expressed his admiration for Brazilian stars Kaka and Ronaldinho, stating: “For me, Kaka wasn’t just a footballer. The way he moved on the pitch was simply beautiful. Every goal was a small work of art.”
Although it would be foolish to get too carried away with one goal, there was a touch of Kaka’s flair in Okafor’s finish, as he slotted home first time to cap a display that was full of promise.
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